Universal joint.



No. 658,499. Patented Sept. 25, |900.

' P. CUNNINGHAM.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

-(App1ication filed Apr. 23, 1900.) ("9 .MMU :sheen-sheet l.

iiiIIIM Ivaefaw No. 658,499. Pafented Sept. 25, |900.

P. CUNNINGHAM.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

(Application lec Apr. 23, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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plained below.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, or NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNoR or THREE-EOURTHS To FRED D. STANLEY, oIr SAME PLACE, AND WILLIAM A. wI-IITTLESEY, or PITTSEIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,499, dated september 25, 1900.

Application led April 23, 1900. Serial No. 13,877. (No model.)

To all whom it Ina/y con/cern;

Be it known that I, PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and yState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Universal Joint, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of my universaljoint. Fig. 2 is a section on line A A of Fig. 1, showing also sleeve-shafts, which are not shown in Fig. 1. section on line C D of Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations of the inner member of my universal joint. Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of the intermediate member. Fig. 8 is a section illustrating how theintermediate member and the outer member are bestassembled, as ex- Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are diagrams explained below.

My invention is a'universal joint made upy of an outer member provided with internal ykeyways diametrically opposite and trunnio'nsockets diametricall y opposite and at right angles to the keyways, an intermediate member g provided with external keyways complementary to the internal k-eyways of the outer mem- Iloer and with external trunnions which enteri the trunnion-sockets of the outer member-,and :also with internal keyways diametrically opposite and at right angles to its external keyways, and with internal trunnons diametrically opposite and at right angles with its ex-l 'ternal trunnions, and an inner member with lexternal keyways complementary to the inter- `nal keyways of the intermediate member and with trunnion-sockets for the internal trun- :nions of the intermediate member; or, more brieiiynny new universal joint consists of three :members interconnected by two pairs of keys and ways and two pairs of trunnions,the outer member being connected with the intermedi-A Fig. 3 is ay may be applied or from which power may be transmitted through a sprocket-chain; but a gear, pulley, or the like may obviously be used. I have also shown the inner member 3 as a hub, which may be fast on shaft 4., but which I have shown connected to sleeve-shafts 5 and 6 by means of beveled gears 7 and S and beveled pinions 9 and lO; but whatever beA the form of the outer member l or the inner member 3 power applied to either will be transmitted to the other, and the axis of the inner member 3 need not coincide with the the arms of the inner member 3 and the other across the enlarged portion shown on the right and left of member 2 in Fig. 7. The surface across the end of each of the arms of inner member 3 is cylindrical, its axis coinciding with the axes of the trunnions 11 and 12, and the inner. surface ot' each enlarged portion shown on the right and left ot' the int-ermediate member 2 in Figs. 3 and 7 is also cylindrical, so that vthe -inner member 3 is free to move relatively to the intermediate member 2 on trunnions l1 and l2 as an axis, as clearly shownin diagrams Figs. 9 and 10; but while the inner member3can move freely on axis of trunnions .11 and 12 without moving member 2 members 2 and 3 must always move together on their central axis coincident with the axis of shaft 4', because the keys 13 and 14 connect members 2 and 3 rigidly,so far as motionon thataxis is'concerned. In the diagrams Figs'. 9 and l0 I have shown the cylindrical portion of members 2 and 3, which tit one another, much extended, but that is for clearness only, as in practice the motion of member 3 relatively to member 2 on trunnions 11 and 12 as au axis is rarely so much, as is shown in the diagrams Figs. 9 and l0.

Intermediate member 2 is held to outer IOO `can bereadily broughtinto the sameplane.

Vangles to the other two axes.

member 1 by trunnions 15 and 16;, and the outer surfaceof `m ember 2 is spherical and fits the spherical inner surface of member 1, so that member 2 is free to move relatively to A member l on trunnions 15 and 16 as an axis; but the keys 17 and 18 prevent relative motion of members 1 and 2 on an axis coincident with the axis of shaft 4. This will be` clear from diagram Figs. 11 and 12, in which I have exaggerated the relative motions of members 1 and 2 for clearness. T

The keys 13 and 14 arepreferably made as heads to the trunnions 15 and 16 and the keys. 17 and 18 as heads to trunnions 11 and 12.

The keys and keyways connecting members 2 and 3, as above described, are `the best form of a spline for so connecting members 2 and 3 as to allow relative motion on one axis, but prevent relative motion on anotheraxis, and so of the keys and keyways connecting members l and 2, so as to allow relative motion onrone axis, but prevent relative motion on another axis. y

While member 1 maybe made .in two parts bolted together after members 2 and 3 have been put in place, itis much better t0 make' member 1 as one casting and cut. it away to `form gates, as shown at 19, Figs. 1 and 8, when member 2 can be inserted crosswise of .mem-` ber 1, as shown in Fig. `8, and `after lmember 2 has been thus inserted itis an easy matter to bring the holes for trunnions `15 and 16 into `line and insert trunnions 15 and 16,.t.hus connecting members 1 and 2. Then swing member 2 on trunnions leand 16 as an 4artis far `enoughbut of the plane `of member l,` place member 3 in member 2',.and insert trunnions 11 and 12. Then all three membersl It will now be clear that my invention is a `universal joint composed of three members each splined to the next, so that `the intermediate member is rigidwith the .outer and inner members so far as motion on a central axis is concerned, yet the intermediate mem-` bercan move relatively to' the outer member i on an axis at right angles to the centralaxis and the inner member canmoverelatively to the intermediate member lon .an axis atright It will also .be clear that trunnions connecting the `outer member with the intermediate member and tru nnions connecting theinterm-ediate,member with the inner `member are Anot .strictly essential, although these Atrunnions are inr practice necessary to insuresmooth andeasy action, especially when my universal joint is subject to very considerable strains. "For the best results it is also necessary to make the outer ,surface `of the .intermediate member spherical about the keys 17 and 18 and about `the trunnions 15'and 16 and the inner surface of the intermediate member about the keys 13 and 14 cylindrical to fit a cylindrical outer surface of the inner member aboutthose keys.

The operation isas follows: Assuming that power is applied to revolve the outer mem-V ber, so long as the axis of the inner member coincides with the axis of the outer member there will be no motion of either member relatively to any of the other members; but if the central axis orthe axis of shaft 4 be tilted `on theaxisrof the dotted circle 16 (shown in Fig. 2)-the inner member will tilt and carry with it the intermediate memberand thekeys 17and 18 will move in their keyways in the outer member. So if the central axis be'tilted on the `axis of the dott-ed circle 11.(shown 'in Fig. v3) the keyways on the inner member will .f move on the keys 13 and 14 carried by the intermediate member.

Whatl claim ,as my invention is- 1. The universalrjoint above describedcomprising an outer member wwith internal `key- .Ways one hundred and eighty `degrees apart; an intermediate member with external key- Ways complementary tothe internal keyways ,of lthe outer member, ,and also with internal i keywaysminetydegrees from its extern al keyways; an inner Lmember `with external keyways com plementarytothe internal keyways y of the intermediate member; keys fortheinternal keyways of the `outer member and tbc external keyways of .the intermediate member; and ,other keys for .the internal `keyways of theintermediate member and the extern al keyways of the inner member.

`2. ln a .universaljoinn an outer member; an intermediate member; `an inner member; a spline connecting the .outer member with the intermediate member; and anotherspline IOO `connecting the intermediate member with the inn'ermem ber; 4all substantially as described. 3. `1n a ,universal joint an outer member with ,a spherical `inner surface, and `any intermediate member with a spherical `outer surface, ,said outer memberhaving `gates as" 19 to admit placing the intermediate member in the outermember substantially asand for the purpose specified.

' -PATRIQK CUNNINGHAM. `Wituesses:

J. E. MAYNADIER, ARTHUR F. RANDALL.

IIO 

